The "UCaaS vs VoIP" debate is a hot topic in
the world of business communications.
As we move away from legacy systems to embrace
cloud communication solutions, the race is on
to find the solution that best fits our unique business needs. Two of the most
popular options are UCaaS and VoIP, both of which support remote working and
facilitate better customer experiences.
UCaaS and VoIP technologies are invaluable to
the collaborative, customer-centric business. Both solutions boast advanced
call management and routing features like call recording, IVR, and call
analytics. However, their significant differences set them apart, making each
solution more suited to specific business models. Rest assured there is a
solution for your business whether you run an
IT
Staffing Agency or a sales call center.
So, in the battle of UCaaS vs VoIP, which
solution should you choose?
What is VoIP?
Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) has become
the global standard for modern business communications. It's the technology
that allows you to make calls over an internet connection rather than the
physical wired PSTN.
Put simply, VoIP uses packet-switching
technologies to convert your voice signals into digital signals. These digital
signals are compressed, transmitted over the internet, and delivered to the
recipient in a matter of seconds with the same flawless audio you'd expect from
a traditional landline.
VoIP enables users to make calls from any
location, on any device, without incurring high costs. While most providers do
still charge for international calling, rates are much lower than traditional
fees. Other than that, your total VoIP
phone cost will be made up of nothing but your monthly subscription
fee.
No expensive hardware costs, maintenance, or
overheads required. In fact, you don't even have to purchase specialized VoIP
phones-it's much more cost-effective to simply turn your PC, laptop, or
smartphone into a softphone.
Common VoIP features include:
- Voicemail to email
- Intelligent call routing
- Call monitoring, call whisper, and
call barge
- Call recording and call monitoring
- Interactive voice response (IVR)
systems
What is UCaaS?
Unified communications as a service (UCaaS)
goes beyond the provision of voice calling. It unifies multiple communication
channels-including video conferencing, SMS, instant messaging, email, and
VoIP-into a singular, centralized platform.
Say your team is struggling to communicate
complex ideas via instant message. UCaaS enables them to jump on a video call
or use free webinar tools without having to leave the
platform. Or, say your customer service agent is chatting with a frustrated
customer via email. In one click, they can call the customer and attempt to
resolve their issues more empathetically and efficiently.
Why Has UCaaS Become So Popular?
Thanks to its rich multifunctionality and
scalability, UCaaS is quickly becoming the future of business communications.
With more device agnosticism than VoIP, UCaaS
is designed to empower the modern remote workforce. Regardless of their
location, employees can leverage a suite of communication tools to their full
potential, amplifying collaborative productivity. And, with customer
preferences in a state of constant flux, an omnichannel-first approach to
customer communications is essential for keeping up with demands.
Creates Better Customer
Experiences
Customers don't just want to interact with
brands via telephone. A recent survey by GetApp shows that online live chat is the
preferred customer service channel. This is followed by telephone, email,
in-person service, and social media.
Image sourced from getapp.com
UCaaS doesn't just let you communicate with
customers on their preferred channel. It lets you deliver fully omnichannel
experiences across these channels. UCaaS consolidates multiple channels into
one platform, meaning that businesses can meet customers at every touchpoint
with streamlined, consistent customer service.
They can also enhance personalization thanks
to native CRM integrations. CRM integrations provide customer service teams
with immediate and centralized CRM data, empowering teams to resolve issues
faster and build better customer relationships.
Make sure you choose a UCaaS provider that
supports popular third-party app integrations like Salesforce and Google
Workspace. If you're building your own software and want it to integrate with
your UCaaS platform, ensure that you include the specifications in your software development agreement.
Enhances Team Collaboration and
Productivity
One of the standout benefits of UCaaS is its
enhanced collaboration capabilities. UCaaS boasts everything from real-time
file-sharing and simultaneous co-editing to shared calendars, digital
whiteboards, screen-sharing, and more.
Combined with the ability to communicate on
different channels via one centralized VoIP
app, remote teams can collaborate just as productively as if they were
in the office.
Increased Self-Service
Unlike VoIP, which is only capable of
telephone-based self-service, UCaaS enables self-service to be applied across
multiple channels. From automated emails to chatbots and conversational AI, businesses can utilize
automation and self-service technologies across web, social media, and SMS.
For your customer service team, omnichannel
self-service frees up phone lines and improves workflows, processes and procedures. Instead of becoming
inundated with trivial issues-which are often the most tedious to handle-agents
can spend more time handling complex issues. And, without the pressure of long
queues, they can attend to these issues more thoroughly and personably.
For your customers, self-service is
particularly beneficial. With the ability to resolve issues themselves, your
customers can avoid long wait times and achieve faster resolutions. It's no
surprise that 81% of customers expect a self-service option,
and two-thirds attempt to self-service their issue before reaching out to a
live agent.
Image sourced from get.nice.com
So, Which One is Right For Your
Business?
The bottom line is that every modern business
needs VoIP. Not only is it more affordable than a traditional phone system, but
it offers advanced call management features, increased mobility, and
self-service capabilities that support the demands of modern business communications.
The real question, then, is whether VoIP is
enough for you.
For businesses that only use voice calling, migrating to VoIP may be sufficient. Be
cautious, though, as all evidence points to the fact that omnichannel services
and remote working are the future of modern business communications. Fail to
prepare, and you risk harming your internal productivity and ability to meet
customer demands.
UCaaS is the best option for remote, hybrid,
and globally-dispersed teams who require multiple communication channels, for
example if you were looking to hire
Python developers from several different locations. If your team
needs to be able to collaborate remotely, connect with customers on different
channels, and deliver efficient, personalized customer service in alignment
with new trends, then UCaaS is the way forward.
So, to settle the "UCaaS vs VoIP" debate, take
a good look at your company's communication needs and determine how many
channels and collaborative tools you need to succeed.
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ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Jessica Day -
Senior Director, Marketing Strategy, Dialpad
Jessica Day is the Senior Director for
Marketing Strategy at Dialpad, VoIP phone services and modern
business communications platform that takes every kind of conversation to the
next level-turning conversations into opportunities. Jessica is an expert in
collaborating with multifunctional teams to execute and optimize marketing
efforts, for both company and client campaigns. Jessica has written for domains
such as DSers and Training Industry. Here is her LinkedIn.